what is thermage skin treatment? wife and

We used to do Thermage in our office. Additionally, my wife, aunt, and mom have had it done. We stopped doing it because we felt that too few people got any tangible benefit. (We = multi-practitioner Dermatology group). All of the below assumes that the procedure is being done for the right reason, which is slightly "loose" or "saggy" skin. Many of the signs of aging (pigmentary change and blotching, redness and visible blood vessel formation, etc. are not treated by Thermage).

Is it safe? For the most part, yes. There are rare chances of burns/blistering (which can heal with scarring) and chances of skin pigmentation change, but in general this is "safer" in terms of side effects compared with many other "surgical" skin rejuvenation treatments.

Is it effective? For the most part, only minimally so. A small percentage of patients will see tangible improvement. A slightly larger percentage of patients will see detectable but minimal improvement. Most will see almost nothing. In our opinion, utilization of topical tretinoin (Retin-A) or similar provides similar improvement to what Thermage provides most patients (though the topical takes longer).

Our bottom line with patients was typically "If you have an unlimited cosmetic surgery budget, Thermage can be worth a shot, but if your funds are limited, there are probably better choices. Also, if you are extremely risk/side effect adverse, Thermage can also be worth a shot."

For my family, my Mom saw real improvements. My aunt saw almost nothing. My wife saw nothing.

 

Generically, this is fractionated thermolysis. The risks are somewhat higher (with this, small holes are burned in the skin, versus Thermage, which does not break the skin but instead heats the collagen with radiofrequency energy). But the benefits can be much more significant.

I think this is a much better bang for the cosmetic surgery buck. But, as I said before, it depends on what you are treating and what the expectations are. For example, none of this is particular good for issues that would best be solved by a brow lift.

S

 

Any one of a number of procedures that basically lifts (or tightens) the forehead, which in turn elevates the eyebrows. When people have saggy upper eyelids (fixed by a procedure called a blepharoplasty), they often have an element of saggy eyebrows, as well. Some people do well with one or the other, but is common (for an excellent aesthetic result) to do both.

Has your wife seen a cosmetic surgeon (plastics, facial plastics, derm, etc.)? Seeing someone with a broad range of experience, who has an assortment of modalities at hand (topicals, lasers, non-laser energy devices, surgery, etc.) might be the best thing.

 

My brows are slightly higher from just me getting botox.


I don't know what she wants the treatments for, but I will tell you that Velashape does NOT work. It's the stuff Kim Kardashian advertises to treat cellulite. I spent $2500 on that b.s. and still have just as many dimples on my backside as before. I probably would have gotten just as good a result (or maybe better) if I'd have just paid someone $2500 to spank me for hours.

 

This feels like when I was a kid and used to play T-Ball. Standing there at home plate, bat in hand.....

 

On this board, you just -might- get someone to pay YOU $2500 to spank you for hours...